Torcal de Antequera National Park
Torcal de Antequera is a national park in Spain, founded in 1989. The park covers an area of only 20 km2, but nature has worked hard in this small space. Under the influence of erosion, over tens of millions of years, rocks and stones of bizarre forms have formed here, which are a vivid example of karst reliefs.
The rocks of Torkal de Anteker began to form somewhere 160 million years ago. In the place where the Andalusian region is located right now where the water of the prehistoric ocean Tethys ( splashed as well as one of the Greek goddesses - Tefides ). The territory was a shallow seabed accumulating sediment from limestone. For millions of years, the environment has formed layers of limestone heterogeneous in thickness and composition. So there were mountains that, under the influence of earthquakes, became like mushrooms. Then, due to the rapprochement of Europe and Africa, the surface of Torkal de Anteker rose more than 1000 meters from the ocean. Mining here consists of calcium carbonate, which is dissolved by water. Therefore, the rains and winds laid the foundation for the dissolution of the lime rock ( karst ). Now these bizarre and diverse karst landscapes can be watched by visitors to the park.
Turning on the imagination and in the park you can notice a large number of "fortress walls", gorges, ceremonial halls, bullfighters, stairs and other sculptures built by nature. This fury of forms will amaze any traveler. The park is periodically excavated to investigate the effects of nature in different eras. In Torkal de Anteker, the richest animal and plant world. You can see a mountain goat jumping down the slope, jogging between the bushes of the fox, mountain cat, hare, marten, as well as various snakes and lizards. On the territory there are 90 species of birds, 50 of them are migratory.
From the plant world, a large number of shrubs, hawthorns, rosemary, and kovaly also blooms irises and peonies. Among the rocks stood powerful pine trees, small rivers sometimes ending in a waterfall flow. Almost the whole year there are few plants in the park, but with the advent of the spring period, the park comes to life, covered with flowers and mosses. Here you can see lily, orchid, Nazareth. In the spring, indescribably beautiful and picturesque.
In short, Torkal de Anteker is the best place for lovers of ornithology, botany, geology, biology, romance. There is a place for anyone in the park.
You can visit the park for free. The tourist center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Near it there is also a museum of flora and fauna of the Torkal de Anteker National Park. There are 3 hiking trails along the park, on which there are information boards and tourist markings.
